WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL RACE DISTANCES?
Sprint – approximately a 400-700 yd swim, a 10-15 mile bike, and a 2-4 mile run.
Olympic or International – approximately a 1.5k (.93mi) swim, 40k (24.8mi) bike, 10k (6.2mi) run
Half-Ironman – 1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, 13.1mi run
Ironman – 2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, 26.2mi run
WHAT IS A GOOD DISTANCE OR RACE TYPE TO START OUT WITH?
Well, this depends on YOU! What are your goals? Have you ever raced in any one of the three disciplines before? (It is not necessary!) Are you trying to build fitness? Are you trying to race a particular distance?...or to conquer the distance, by moving the furthest your body has ever gone (under its own power)? Each person's comfort and proficiency with each of the three disciplies varies. You can choose your first race based on your level of fitness, and your ability within each sport. Many people start out with a Sprint or an Olympic distance race, for many reasons. The shorter races give you a feel for how a triathlon works, i.e. from transitions from swim to bike, and getting that wetsuit off, and bike gear on, to moving your legs, now heavy from the bike segement, into the run segment. Many feel it is unwise to try to race or complete an Ironman without trying shorter distances first. Many of the shorter races are low key and very supportive of the new/returning athlete. Local sprint/olympic events that have been TRIed and liked by members include: Elkhart Lake Triathlon, Ripon Medical Center Triathlon, High Cliff Triathlon, Mighty Wolf Triathlon, Lake Mills Triathlon, just to name a few (see our list of Races on the site).
SO HOW DO I TRAIN FOR A TRIATHLON?
1) Set realistic goals - and then SIGN UP for an event!
Set a goal that you think you can accomplish in the context of your life -- remember to balance work / family / friends / other obligations. If this is your first season - please expect to spend MORE time training than you think it may take to get prepared to finish an event. Then sign up for a race --this holds you accountable. Most training requires 12-18 week plans for shorter races, up to 1 - 2 years for Iron-distance races.
2) Come up with a training plan
As far as the training itself goes, there is no substitute for good coaching with a real coach. Though we are not coaches,we have some great experience through Redline Triathlon Club - so use our knowledge, too! Picking up a triathlon training book at your local sporting goods store is oftentimes a great place to begin putting together a workout plan. Check our our articles and links, too. The amount of training depends on: your level of fitness, comfort level with each individual sport, amount of time you have available, and the distance of the race you’ve chosen. In general, it’s a good idea to do each activity at least twice per week, increasing your distances gradually. Don’t forget that weight training is an integral component of a training program, so you’ll be making time for that too. Quite often, people’s goals are simply to finish the race, enjoy the experience and see what it’s all about.
WHAT DO I WEAR FOR THE RACE?
Most people wear a singlet (fitted tank top) and trishorts. Trishorts are like bike shorts with a pad (chamois) but the pad dries quickly, so you don't feel like you are wearing a soggy diaper coming out of the swim to the bike and run. Many women wear a sports bra under the singlet. For the swim, wear clothing that will fit comfortably under your wetsuit. Some people like to pull running shorts on over their trishorts after the bike. Men are not permitted to race bare chested. There is no nudity in the transition area - if you feel the need to completely change between sports, wrap yourself in a long towel, and carefully change. Avoid cotton and use high tech wicking fabrics whenever possible. Try to keep your race number visible - a race belt that your number attaches to is helpful - and it is not necessary to wear your number on the swim.
HOW DO I SET UP AND DO MY TRANSITION WELL?
The transition area is set up so that no one racer has an advantage over another - entrances and exits for swim/bike/run are each separate. Often, there are bike racks - organized by your race number. Sometimes, you get to choose. Arrive at the transition area early to give yourself time to prepare before the race. If you get to choose where you put your bike, pick a spot that you will be able to find. Look at the spot and count rows, memorize trees, landmarks, and walk from the 'swim exit' to the bike, and from the bike to the 'run exit' - so you can identify where you are going. Some people bring their own markers - a balloon, neon tape, duct-tape, a teddy bear, a bright towel laid down under the bike -- whatever works for you! Make it visible.
Set your stuff up on a towel in the order that you’ll need it. Be tidy and try not to sprawl into other racers' space. The more organized you are now, the shorter time it takes to transition in the race. Also, be sure to hang your bike by the seat. And don’t be shy to look around and copy what other folks are doing – we can all learn something from one another!
When setting up your bike it’s a good time to stop and think about your nutrition for a moment. Think about easy access. Many people tape gels / powerbars to the frame of their bike, or maybe you have already pinned some of these to your race belt or outfit. This way you can just reach down and tear one off instead of fumbling around for it in a pocket. Make sure you have a space for your trash - littering is NOT allowed on the course.
Now that you’re all set up how do you get out of that wetsuit? It’s never pretty. And like your transition area, it’s all about how well you prepared beforehand. Use a body lubricant generously around any areas that may chafe. Practice swimming in and removing the wetsuit BEFORE the race. When exiting the transition area with your bike it is a good idea to steer it by holding the seat, rather than the handlebars. This will help keep you from mangling your shins on the pedals as you go. Practice running with your bike in your bike shoes. Learn to love that ‘there’s no way this can be safe’ feeling.
Coming back in from the bike is called your T2. By this point, simple tasks like tying a pair of running shoes can seem a bit involved. A suggestion might be to try out elastic laces or a quick-cinch like you find on a backpack. Try several easy on/easy off options and see what one works best for you. No matter how you set yourself up it is always best to practice transitioning before race day comes along. Now that you’re a triathlete you no longer can simply think about swimming, biking and running – but how you’re going to get from one to the other as well!
WHAT SHOULD I DO FOR MY NUTRITION?
Again this is individual, it’s a trial and error process. As much as you are training physically for the race, you need to train nutritionally. As you get some races under your belt you will know what works for you. One important piece of advice: race day is not the time to try anything new! Train with what you’ll be racing with. Oftentimes this can mean doing some detective work and finding out what kind of sports drink/bars/gel’s are offered at your race and then train with that. If that doesn’t work for you, then plan on bringing your own. The night before – A medium sized meal, heavier on the carbohydrates, not too much protein/fat/fiber. The “carbo loading” party the night before the race is not your free pass to eat 3 plates of spaghetti! Truly the Carbo Loading Party should be 2 nights before the race, this is when you want to increase your carbohydrate stores. For your first race think bland, nothing too crazy. This is probably not the time to try the spicy shrimp and scallop cream sauce. Drink lots of water for a couple days before the race (which you should be doing all the time anyway, right?). If it’s going to be a hot race, like Wildflower, consider incorporating some kind of sports drink with electrolytes and salts into your pre-race hydration plan.
The morning of – Again think medium to small sized, bland, carbohydrate based, low fat/protein. Common pre-race foods: bagels, toast, oatmeal, bananas. You want to avoid anything that can upset your stomach (especially when you throw in the stress and strains racing imposes on your gut!).
During the race – For a sprint distance you will likely not need anything except water or maybe a sports drink. For an Olympic distance or longer you need to develop an eating/drinking plan. What has worked for you in training? What are the weather conditions expected for the race? Is it going to be hot? If so make sure you are not just drinking water, you will need a sports drink to replace the electrolytes and salts you will lose through sweating. Do you need solid food? The gel-based supplements (PowerGel, Goo, Clif Shot, etc.) are based on simple carbohydrates/sugars that will enter your system quickly. You need to drink water with them. They will last in your system for about 45 minutes. The bars (Cliff bars, Power bars, etc) are composed of more complex carbohydrate and will take longer to get into your system. They are not a quick fix. For endurance sports, combing the benefits of both is a good way to go. For an Olympic distance many athletes will use 2-4 gel-based supplements and forgo the solid food. You need to decide what is right for you. If you choose to combine the two, one way is to cut the bar into small pieces and stick it to the toptube of your bike frame or put it into a Ziploc baggy. Alternate between a piece of a bar and some gel as you progress through the race, as consuming a whole bar at one time may make you visit the port-o-potties/bushes on the run portion of you race! The bike and transition area is a good place to consume the gels/bars (don’t compromise safety on the bike for a gel though!). Whatever you choose to do, try it out in training first.
COMMON TERMINOLOGY Bonk – To run out of energy, you need some food!
Brick workout – Two or more events combined; commonly a bike workout followed by a short run to help the adaptation between the muscle groups.
DNF – Did not finish
DQ - Disqualification
Drafting – Following closely behind another biker. This is illegal in races and can get you DQ’d. Learn the rules!
Negative split – Running the second half faster that the first half
On your left – What you should say as you attempt to pass another biker
T1, T2 – T1= swim-to-bike transition, T2= bike-to-run transition
